Combination furniture



April 5, 1949. w. F. BROWN COMBINATION FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 26, 1944 INVENTOR. 147/00! f Bro/m ATTORNE Y5 April 5, 1949. w. F. BROWN 2,466,204

COMBINATION FURNITURE I Filed Dec. 26, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 2 jflmyrol. 51 1/0052 ITEM/m flTfOR/VEYS W. F. BROWN COMBINATION FURNITURE April 5, 1949.

s sheets-sheet:

Fil ed Dec. 26, 1944 I INVENTOR. W/fl/am f Bra/m A T 7' OR/Vf Y Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION FURNITURE William F. Brown, Kansas City, Mo. Application December 26, 1944, Serial No. 569,694

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to chairs, and more particularly to a chair which may be converted into a bed for sleeping purposes.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a chair assembled in such a manner that it may be quickly converted into a single or double bed; to provide a straight chair or a rocking chair for the purpose set forth, to provide a double chair or love-seat, the individual chairs of which may be assembled together by fastening devices; to provide for easy assembling of the parts together to make the chair and for disassembling the parts to make the bed, and to provide a simple, economical and efficient device as and for the purpose set forth.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a straight chair showing the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a straight chair showing the parts in disassembled relation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a corner of the seat portion of the chair showing parts broken away to illustrate the interior of the seat; the openings through the seat for receiving dowels on the arms of the chair and the bore openings for receiving fastening devices when the chair is made into abed.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a corner of the base portion of the chair showing the bore opening and dotting lines for receiving the dowel pins for holding the arms of the chair in place.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of two chairs to form a love-seat with the two chairs being shown in disassembled relation and the devices for fastening the chairs together and the abutting arms removed.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a single bed made from a chair.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryview of a corner of the back portion of the chair showing the means for fastenin the supporting legs thereto when the bed is made, as shown in Fig. 6.

v Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a double bed made from tWo chairs.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an insert to fill out the space between the arms to provide length for the bed as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of a rocking chair embodying my invention.

Fig. 11 is a side view of the chair shown in Fig. 10 particularly illustrating the means for attaching to the rockers for preventing the rock- 2 ers from moving when the chair a bed.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates an article of furniture commonly known as a straight or lounge chair comprising a base 2 substantially square in shape, having sides 3 and front and back portions 4 and 5 respectively; a seat 6, back 1, arms 8 and 9 and legs ID. The frame-work of the chair is preferably made of wood, although it may be made of any suitable material such as aluminum, plastics, steel or the like, and may be upholstered in the usual manner. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 illustrate a straight or lounge chair and a single bed made from such chair.

The legs It) may be fastened to the base 2 in any suitable manner but I preferably provide bore openings II in the four corners of the bottom of the base portion and the legs are pressed into the bore openings in the usual manner to provide a tight fit. If desired the legs may be glued in the bore openings. The bottom of the legs are provided with knobs or the like l2 for easy movement over the floor.

The top edges l3 and M of the side portions'3 of the base 2 are provided with bore openings l5 and I6 and the back side 5 of the base portion 2 is provided with bore openings.

The seat portion 6 may be constructed in any suitable manner but I preferably provide a framework I7, springs I9, cushioning 20 and fabric or other covering 2| as illustrated in Fig. 3. The sides of the seat are provided with openings 22 and 23 which extend entirely through the seat as indicated at 24, Fig. 3. The front side of the seat or cushion 3 is provided with bore openings 25, and the side of the seat has a bore opening 26 near the rear portion thereof for a purpose later described. These bore openings are extended into the seat portion a sufiicient distance to receive a bushing 21, having a rim or flanged head 28 as illustrated in Fig. 3. t

Rigidly secured to the bottom of thearms 8 and 9 are dowels or the like 29 and 36, adapted to be inserted through the openings 22 and 23 of the cushion 6 and into the bore openings l5 and it, of the sides I3 and I4, of the base member 2, when the chair is in assembled relation as shown in Fig. 1. The bottom edge of the back portion 1 is also provided with dowels or the like 3| rigidly secured thereto and adapted to be inserted in the bore openings l8 in the top of the is made up into back 5 of the base member 2 for holding the back on said base member. The back side 5 of the base member and the top of the rear corners of the sides l3 and M are sloped rearwardly as indicated at 32, so that the back i of the chair will be tilted slightly backward to provide comfort to the user. It will be obvious that the rear legs of the chair may also be shorter than the front legs if desired to give e r backward tilt the chair.

The front side 4 of the base 2 is provided with a bore opening 34 near the lower corner thereof, and the sides of the arms 8 and 5 are provided on their outer faces near the top andrear thereof with bore openings 35. The respective side edges 36 of the back are also preferably provided with bore openings 31 and 38 and the top edge 39 with bore openings 45 for a purpose later described. The bore openings are provided with grommets or the like as indicated at 21, Fig. 3.

With the construction thus far described it will be understood thatthe dowels 29 and 30 in the arms 8 and 9, and dowels 3| in the back hold the back, arms, cushioned seats and base in assembled relation. The seat 6 may be held in position when the chair is used as a bed by pins 4| on the respective sides of the seat adapted to fit in bore openings 42 in the top edges i3 and M of the base 2. To also aid in holding the back in position and lendin rigidity to the back and arms, I preferably provide fastening members 43 and 44. The fasteners are preferably substantially U-shaped having shanks 45 and 45, shank 46 being preferably slightly longer than the shank 45. When the back and arms are in assembled relation the shank 4,6 of the fastener will engage in the opening 31 in the side 36 of the back portion 1 and the shank 45 will engage in the bore openings 35. in the, sides of the arms 8 and 5, holding the back and arms, securely together. By making the shank 45 slightly longer than the shank 45 of the fasteners 43 and 44 it will facilitate insert-ion and removal of the fasteners from the openings. It will be obvious that the opening 3.! will of necessity penetrate slightly farther in the back portion than the opening 35 in the arm portions.

.In order to make a single bed as illustrated in Fig. 6 from the structure thus far described the back portion l and the arms 8 and 9 are removed from the chair by releasing the fasteners 43 and 44 and lifting the back and arms from their normal places. The back is placed in abuttin relation with the back portion of the cushion 5 and the dowels 3| of said back portion inserted in bore openings (not shown) in the back edge of said seat or cushion, so that the back and seat portion will make a plane surface. One of the arms, for instance 9, may be placed in abutting relation with the front of the cushion 6 by inserting the dowels 3|! in the bore openings 25 to add length to the bed surface. The other arm '8 may be placed in abutting relation with the top edge 39 of the back I by insertion of the dowels 29 in the bore openings 45 to provide an extended surface and give sufiicient length for the single bed.

i To provide support for the end of the bed provided by the back portion 1, I preferably provide legs 41 having a threaded end 48 insertable in a threaded bushing 49 in bore openings 55 at the respective outer corners of the, back i thereof. The legs 41 are of greater length than the leg l0 so that the back portion will be supported level with the seat portion of the chair when the bed is formed. The bushings in the bore openings 50 are provided with flanges or grommets so that plane surface.

4 the upholstering will be surrounded at the bore openings.

In order to hold the back and seat portions together as illustrated in Fig. 6, the fasteners 43 and 44 are inserted in openings in the respective portions by inserting the long shank 45 of the fasteners in the openings 38 in the back portion, and the shorter shank 45 in the opening 25 of the cushion of the respective sides of said back and seat portion. The bed is then ready for use.

Referring to the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 5, 8 and 9 the structure shown consists of two separate chairs 5| and 52 having arms as described in connection with form of invention shown in Fig. 1, and the chairs may be placed in abutting position to provide a love-seat or the like, capable of accommodating two or more people. This love-seat or sometimes called settee, may be constructed from the straight chairs 5| and 52 merely by removin two of the arms, 1. e., the arms in the middle of the love-seat when the chairs are placed in abutting relation and the. arm used for purpose later described.

It will be obvious that the chair shown in Fig. 5 may be identical with that shown in Fig. 1 and by merely removing the inside arms and placing the chairs in abutting relation the settee is made. In order to hold the chairs in abutting relation when the love-seat is formed I provide fasteners. 53 and 54, comprising U-shaped members having shanks for engaging in bore opening 34 in the. front base of the chair and bore openings 56 in the top edge 39 of the back member 1.

In assembling a double bed as illustrated in Fig. 8 from the love-seat the fasteners 43, 44, 53 and 54 are removed from the bore openings and the arms and backs of the chairs are removed from assembled relation. The backs of chairs 5| and 52 are placed in abutting relation with the rear edge of the cushions E by insertion of the dowels 3| in the openings (not shown) in the rear edges of the cushions as described in connection with the single beds. shown in Fig. 6 to form a The two plane surfaces thus formed are placed side by side as shown in Fig. 8. The arm 9 is then placed in abutting relation with the side edge 51 of the cushion of the chair 52' and the dowels 30 of the arm inserted in openings 58 in said cushion. The side arm 8v is placed in abutting relation with the side 59 of the back of the chair and the dowels 29 of the arm inserted in bore openings 60 in said side face. of the back I.

It will be noted that the arms placed in position as just described and as shown in Fig. 8v will be flush with the respective sides of the bed and a space will, be left between the arms. To fill this space I preferably provide an insert 6| of the same width as the arms. of thechair and slightly V- shaped as illustrated in Fig. 9 to conform to the shape of the inclined ends of the arms of the chair as indicated at 5|", Fig. 1. The insert 6| is provided with dowels 6.2 which may be pressed in bore openings 63 in said insert in any suitable manner. The insert, 6| is placed in abutting relation with the side of the back cushion and in abutting, reiationwith the ends of" the arms. by insertion of the dowels 52 in bore openings 64v in the lower portion of the side 59 of the back I,

forming a rectangular plane surface of the bed.

In order to lend support to the side of the bed formed by the, backs l of the chairs, I preferably provide a. plurality of legs 65 here illustrated as; four in number. The legs. (i5v are attached tothe backs of the chairs as described in connection with the single bed, shown in Fig. 6, the rear surfaces of the back 7 of the chairs being provided near the top thereof with bore openings adapted to receive the legs 65 as illustrated in Fig. 7. The fastener 53 is then inserted in the bore openings 56 in the top edges of the backs 1 of the chair to hold the two sections securely in abutting relation, and the fastener 44 insertediin the bore opening 26 in the side edge of the cushion and the opening 38in the side edge of the back I for holding the back portion in rigid relation to the cushion and base portion The double bed is then ready for use.

In constructing a rocking chair as illustrated in Figs, and 11, the cushion, back portions and fasteners are constructed identically as with the straight chair shown in Fig. 1, and the legs are provided with rockers 66 of ordinary construction. The rockers are provided with bore openings 67 for receiving the legs 68. The legs may be pressed in the bore openings in the ordinary manner.

A single bed may be made from the rocker as described in connection with the straight chair illustrated in Fig. 1. In order to prevent the rocking movement of the bed when made up the rockers 66 are preferably provided on their underneath faces with bore openings 69 near the respective ends thereof and in the vicinity of the legs 68 for receiving stops [0 and H the reduced ends of which may be pressed into the bore openings 69 in the usual manner. The stops 10 and H are preferably made of wood and conform in size to substantially the width of the rocker if desired and when placed one at each end substantially near the legs of the chair the lower faces will contact the floor as indicated at 12 to prevent the bed from rocking.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that twin beds may be constructed from two straight chairs or from two rocking chairs as above described.

It will further be obvious that a double bed may be constructed from two rockers, as described in connection with the double bed shown in Fig. 8.

It will further be obvious that I have constructed an article of furniture which may be utilized in kitchenette apartments, living rooms, recreation rooms, hospitals, convalescent homes, army camps and stations and many other places. The fasteners above described may be made of metal wire or tubing of suflicient strength to with stand ordinary strain and the bore openings in the chairs are provided with bushings or the like and the outer rims grommeted in the upholstering of the chair so as to not detract from the appearance of the furniture, and to provide easy assembly and disassembly of the furniture.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A convertible chair comprising a base, a seat on said base, a back, and arms, said back and each of said arms being provided with spaced attaching pins, said base being provided along its rear edge and along each side edge with vertically extending sockets spaced respectively to receive the pins of said back and of said arms, said seat having sockets extending therethrough in registry with the sockets in the side edges of said base, other sockets extending horizontally into said seat at the front and the rear thereof, and sockets in the normally top edge of said back, the attaching pins of said back extending into the sockets at the rear of said base and the attaching pins of said arms of the chair.

respectively extending through the vertically extending sockets of'said seat into the registering base sockets whereby said back and arms are assembled innormal upright position, the pins of said back and said arms being removable from said sockets and-the sockets in said seat and in the top of said back being so spaced that upon removal, said back and said arms may be reassem-. bled in horizontal alignment with said seat to form a bed, the attaching pins of the back being engaged within the sockets at the rear of the seat and the. attaching pins of one arm being engaged in the sockets at the front of the seat while those of the other arm are engaged within the sockets in the edgeof the back.

2. A convertible chair comprising a base, a seat on said base, a back, and arms, said back and each of said arms being provided with spaced attaching pins, said base being provided along its rear edge and along each side edge with vertically extending sockets spaced respectively to receive the pins of said back and of said arms, said seat having sockets extending therethrough in registry with the sockets in the side edges of said base, other sockets extending horizontally into said seat at the front and the rear thereof, sockets in the normally top edge of said back, the attaching pins of said back extending into the sockets at the rear of said base and the attaching pins of said arms respectively extending through the vertically extending sockets of said seat into the registering base sockets whereby said back and arms are assembled in normal upright position, the pins of said back and said arms being removable from said sockets and the sockets in said seat and in the top of said back being so spaced that upon removal, said back and said arms may be reassembled in horizontal alignment with said seat to form a bed, the attaching pins of the back being engaged within the sockets at the rear of the seat and the attaching pins of one arm being engaged in the sockets at the front of the seat while those of the other arm are engaged within the sockets in the edge of the back, and means for supporting the outer end of said back when in horizontal position. i

3. A convertible chair comprising a, base, a seat on said base, a back, and arms, said back and each of said arms being provided with spaced attaching pins, said base being provided along its rear edge and along each side edge wtih vertically extending sockets spaced respectively to receive the pins of said back and of said arms, said seat having sockets extending therethrough in registry with the sockets in the side edges of said base, other sockets extending horizontally into said seat at the front and the rear thereof, sockets in the normally top edge of said back, the attach.. ing pins of said back extending into the sockets at the rear of said base and the attaching pins of said arms respectively extending through the vertically extending sockets of said seat into the registering base sockets whereby said back and,

arms are assembled in normal upright position, the pins of said back and said arms being removable from said sockets and the sockets in said seat and in the top of said back being so spaced that upon removal, said back and said arms may be reassembled in horizontal alignment with said seat to form a bed, the attaching pins of the back being engaged within the sockets at the rear of the seat and the attaching pins of one arm being engaged in the sockets at the front of the seat while those of the other arm are engaged within the sockets in the edge of the back, means for supporting the outer end of said back when in 7 horizontal position, and means for retaining the Numberbaek and seat in abutting relation. 861,374 WILLIAM F. BROWN. 7 911,319 944,334 REFERENCES CITED 5 975 374 The following references are of record in the 1,026,276; file of this patent: 1,951,457 2,213,633 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,333,073 Number Name- Date 19 316,901 Kreith Apr. 28, 1885 571,579 Schenck Nov. 11, 1896 Number 633,398 Straube Sept. 19, 199.9 335,206 636,854 Saveland Nov. 14, 1999 381,893 863,874 Rainer Aug. 20, 190': 15 536,561

Name Date Henig Aug. 27, 19037 Montague Feb. 2, 1909 Lambert Dec. 28, 1909 Shalansky Nov. 8, 1910' Mosk-owits May 14, 1912 Schneider June 5, 1934 Kein Sept. 3, 1940 Mueller Oct. 26, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Mar. 24, 1921 Great Britain Oct. 13, 1932 France Feb. 15, 1922 

